MICHELLE OBAMA THRILLS MILANESE

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It was announced yesterday that Michelle Obama would be in Milan two days this week. She will be visiting the World’s Fair.

Before I was aware of the First Lady’s visit via the news, I received a series of e-mails from friends and blog readers in the Milan area. All thrilled that Michelle would be visiting. Appears she is extremely popular in the area.

Michelle is heading an American delegation. The message she hopes to convey is the need for a healthy world. The way to reach the goal wise eating.

The delegation is referred to as a Presidential Delegation. One of the group will be Alonzo Mourning. One of the truly great NBA basketball stars of years gone by.

I was fortunate in my other life to have attended many pro golf tournaments. Rare was the occasion when Alonzo Mourning was not there. He always followed players with the masses. Walked hole to hole. No special seating or attention for him. I admired his humility, his simplicity.

Last night was the big Bocce Party. The league party. Not to be confused with the one at Don’s Place last week. All 54 teams in attendance. Roughly 300 people.

A good time. Always a good time.

The event was held at the new Waterfront Restaurant. Not officially opened yet. Given a peek by our group last night. What a place! Huge! Three stories. Several bars. One long long.

The place is still under construction. In its final phase.

I am not sure what it is going to be. The size overwhelming. The cost of running the place equally overwhelming. I would hate to have to pay the rent cost alone.

The food was excellent. Catered by Mango’s.

Drinks cheap. Surprisingly so. A Beefeater and one Bud light beer $7. Better than Don’s prices! I doubt they will be able to keep the prices at that level when the place opens.

I wish the proprietors good luck! They have engaged in a major undertaking. Hopefully, a big hit in the making.

Met many friends. One was Nancy Weiner and her husband Bob. They have a home in Key West.

Nancy is a loyal blog follower. Thank you, Nancy. We talked of many things. An interesting lady. I hope I run into Nancy and her husband again.

Manicure yesterday with Tammy. Tammy cut her hair! A big deal. Asians generally wear their hair long. Tammy agreed that was the case. However, she wanted to try something new. Typical woman. Her hair now shoulder length.

She looked fantastic! She did with long hair, also. It is Tammy’s smile that makes her the beauty she is, regardless of her hair length.

I have to write this week’s KONK Life column today. I am in a quandary. I have not decided on a subject yet. Nothing considered so far thrilled me. I have two hours to decide the subject matter of the column.

I love Putin! The G7 ignored him. He was not invited. No big deal. He met with the Pope instead. Putin is an expert at one up manship.

It is thought he met with Silvio Berlusconi afterwards. They are close friends. For real friends. Putin built a place in Portofino near Berlusconi’s home. I wonder if Berlusconi threw one of his famous parties for Putin. I would not be surprised. The two are birds of a feather.

The Citizen’s Voice in today’s Key West Citizen has a Thomas Jefferson quote. It is one I have written about in the past and referred to on my TV and radio shows.

Jefferson was a great writer. A molder of words. However as to finances, he was a failure. The banks were on his ass his whole life. He died broke. His daughter had to sell his beloved Monticello to pay the debts.

The quote…..I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.

Banks and money lenders, nothing ever changes.

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

TODAY A MEMORABLE ONE

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June 6 is already historically a day to remember. On this day in 1944, the Allied troops landed in Normandy. The invasion of the European continent was under way!

Thousands of brave men died that day. We will never forget.

Today could become a second reason remember the day. The Belmont. Should American Pharoah win. The first Triple Crown winner in years.

The Belmont is a happy event. Should American Pharoah win, another reason for this day to be registered in the annals of history.

American Pharoah’s victory will also give American people a boost in pride. Something sorely needed.

Years ago, I was privileged to attend two Belmonts. A client had a private box at the finish line. The races and partying not to be forgotten.

Today is the 39th Annual Swim Around Key West. One hundred seventy hearty folk will swim around the island of Key West. A 12.5 mile course. The leader of the pack a 65 year old local. God bless him!

My yesterday began with the anti-gravity treadmill. I hope it does what I expect. Gets me in better shape to climb the mountains and stairs of Greece and Italy.

Then to Publix. I buy groceries in small amounts. I sometimes think I do it just to get out of the house. Actually, the reason is I like my fruits and vegetables fresh. Especially the bananas which seem to ripen too much in 2 or 3 days.

I consistently comment that the national media does not share all the news with us. Called selective reporting.

There was a police gun shooting on August 11 last year. I became aware for the first time today. How many of you were aware?

The place Salt Lake City. Twenty year old Dillon Taylor was walking in front of a 7-11. He was wearing a tee shirt and sloppy baggy pants. He was listening to the earphones he had on.

A police officer showed up several feet behind him and shouted stop. Dillon did not hear him apparently. The ear phones. It appears that at some point Dillon did hear the officer. He turned around. As he did so, he began to pull his pants up. The officer thought he was reaching for a gun and shot him twice.

Dillon died within minutes. There was no gun.

All this was recorded. The police officer was wearing a body camera.

The video of Dillon down dying/dead one of the worst I have ever seen. Blood everywhere. Like a victim of war.

In less than three months, the local District Attorney issued a statement in effect acquitting the police officer. No grand jury presentation. The District Attorney said the shooting was justified not because Dillon Taylor posed an actual threat, but because the police officer reasonably perceived a threat.

The system continues to fail us. The Justice system is broke. The media fail us likewise. Selective picking of the news is not proper. We are entitled to know all of it.

Enjoy your day! Enjoy the Belmont!

DAVID’S DAY AT THE KENTUCKY DERBY

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As suspected, I never made it to Don’s Place to watch the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight. By 9, midnight seemed days away. Instead, I went to bed.

Not all was lost, however. I was watching a James Bond movie. Half asleep. All of a sudden, my eyes opened wide. There was the Hemingway House. I watched Bond and two guys chasing him go through the front gate, run up the outside stairs, tussle in a second floor room, Bond jumping off a second floor porch and leaping over a wall as he made his getaway.

The movie was License To Kill.

The only scene in the entire movie shot in Key West was the one I described. The rest of the film was made elsewhere. It does not seem financially feasible to have brought cast, crew and equipment to Key West to film an episode that took less than two minutes. Money must be cheap in Hollywood. Or, was back then.

I spent a couple of hours in the afternoon with Sloan. I am from a different generation. Getting this blog linked and everywhere it must go takes a talent I have not. And which I have not been able to learn. I would be lost without her.

I did get to watch the Kentucky Derby. An exciting 2 minutes! I have been lucky to have attended all major sporting events, other than a World Series game and the Kentucky Derby. Some, several times.

I received an e-mail this morning from David Taylor of Owensboro, Kentucky. David has been a loyal blog reader for a long time. I got to meet him Easter time at the Chart Room. David, his wife, his Dad, and friends.

David wrote about his one time experience at a Kentucky Derby. I share it with you.

It was back in 1974. The day Secretariat ran and won. David had to be in college then.

He was watching the game from the infield. He described it as not a place for the faint of heart. It was hot. He had removed his shoes and shirt. He recalls seeing Secretariat go by. Only his legs. He witnessed a naked man shimmy his way to the top of the Churchill Downs flag pole.

Ready to leave, David discovered his shoes and shirt gone. Not to be found.

David said though it may have been the shortest two minutes in sports, it was the place to be that day.

I envy you, David. A suggestion. Get back there once more! Twice if you can! Enjoy the best life has to offer whenever circumstances permit. The clock never stops running.

I have to get this week’s KONK Life column out today. I still am not sure what I will write about. I have three possible topics. Ivory soap. There is a story in Ivory soap. Then there is the issue of jail gangs. A growing power in this country. They control outside activities at the same time they are in jail. Finally, Baltimore, Ferguson and most recently Denver police problems. Something along the line that Baltimore is the beginning, not the end. There will be elsewhere further improper police activities resulting in demonstrations, riots and disruptions.

One comment re the Baltimore arrests. A smart move. A tactical one. If the arrests had not been made, Baltimore would have burned that night and for several days thereafter. I doubt the charges will stick, however. They do not fit the facts. One reason being we still do not know many facts. Facts, not assumptions, are required to charge a person.

There will be some convictions. In the final analysis, any convictions stand a good chance of being overturned on appeal.

So there is no misunderstanding, the State’s Attorney did the correct thing in ordering arrests when she did. It was a practical decision to save the community from further harm. It was not the lawyer thing to do from a legal perspective. Sort of a race to judgment. I suspect at least a week more was required to collect additional facts and evaluate what charges should be brought.

Enjoy your Sunday!